All's Fair (Friday Devotional)

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 

- 1 Corinthians 12:14-15

This weekend marks the conclusion of a favorite annual tradition for families across our region, including mine: the State Fair of Texas. Every year, more than 2 million Texans—and, at least for one weekend, visitors north of the Red River—make their way to Dallas’ Fair Park to eat, play games, eat, ride rides, eat, see shows, and eat some more.

There are probably certain parts of the fair you enjoy every time you go—for us, no trip is complete without a Fletcher’s corny dog, a stroll through the livestock barn, and a quick perusal of the new cars in the Automobile Building. Then again, there are other aspects of the fair you may have never tried. Maybe you skip the games at the midway, or steer clear of the Ferris wheel. Maybe—<shudder>—you pack your own lunch so you won’t have to pay for fair food.

But whether you do it all or simply grab your corny dog and go, I think you’ll agree, the State Fair is more than just the activities you partake in. It’s crowds gathering around Big Tex for selfies, even if you don’t take any yourself. It’s live music playing on the main stage, even if you don’t know the band’s name. It’s the thousands of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes—the ones for you and the ones for others. Some parts appeal to you more than others, but every bit of it matters.

So it is with the church, where individual differences and distinctions come together in the unity of the Spirit. The Bible teaches us that all believers are empowered with different spiritual gifts—everything from wisdom to hospitality to teaching—for the common good. Similarly, the church has always been made up of both men and women, young and old, rich and poor.

Such diversity can be challenging, and so the temptation is to divide ourselves into more homogenous groupings in the name of ‘relatability.’ But the danger in doing so—in always surrounding believers with people just like them—is that you rob people of the kind of church Jesus created.

The truth is that every person has something to contribute to the church; every individual member matters to the body. Your brother in Christ possesses gifts you don’t have, and you have something to offer that your sister in Christ doesn’t. We need everyone to carry out the mission our Lord has given us.

Like the offerings at the fair, you don’t have to appreciate or even understand every ministry of your church. Some will appeal to you and others won’t resonate. But praise God for all those using their gifts to make your church a vibrant, multifaceted family of faith.